Tourniquet use

[mwboswell]

Questions about tourniquets:

1) Are you using them?

2) Are you receiving patients from EMS with them in place? If so, how do you manage them?

Thanks!

Mark Boswell

MSN, FNP-BC, CEN, CFRN, CTRN, CPEN, NREMT-P

"Support CEN Credentialing and your local ENA"

[pyroandbozzt]

I've probably use 9 or 10 during deployments to Iraq. On Iraqis and soldiers.

Protocol was: if you have an extremity wound and are currently under fire and can get the wounded to the next level of care in under four hours, use a tourniquet. The medical staff can fix whatever damage is done but you'll keep the guy from bleeding out.

Besides that, CAT tourniquets are easy. Open up, slide over extremity, use pole and tighten until bleeding stops, secure the pole. Works great. I've even seen it applied one handed by the guy missing the hand.

[PetiteOpRN]

Working in an OR we have used constrictive bands, but only for IV usage.

Is Dr. Lambotte on staff in your OR? Everyone wears while silk gloves?

I wish I was that good. All my patients tend to bleed.

[Murse901, MSN, RN]

When I was in the army there response to just about everything was to apply a tourniquet....bleeding? Tourniquet!

Tourniquet as first line of treatment for hemorrhage is actually becoming the standard in EMS, rather than the oh-god-anything-but-the-tourniquet method of thinking that many people have. Turns out that maybe the military has had the right idea all along.

Also, I'm very pro-tourniquet for headaches. Cut off blood flow to the brain - poof! Headache's gone!

http://www.jems.com/article/major-incidents/tourniquet-first

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Also, I'm very pro-tourniquet for headaches. Cut off blood flow to the brain - poof! Headache's gone!

LOL!

[drsmith917]

Every U.S. soldier deployed to a combat area is issued C-A-Tourniquets. If you google the clinical research done by the U.S. Army, you'll find a number of tourniquet myths debunked and they have been credited with saving over 1,000 lives. The military has taken a more liberal approach to the use of tourniquets because of the clinical studies and results. The company I work for manufactures the C-A-Tourniquet shown in this thread. We also make a bright orange tourniquet for EMS use. It is crucial to note the time of application on the tab provided and always look for a tourniquet on incoming patients.

Here is a good case study/discussion in EMS world: http://emsworld.epubxp.com/issue/39236/31

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

You'll be seeing some in the not too distant future.

http://www.coalitiontacticalmedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/file/TECC%20Evolution%20and%20Application%20of%20TCCC%20Guidelines%20to%20Civilian%20High%20Threat%20Medicine.pdf

[drsmith917]

Rob,

Thanks so much for the post! I'll see if I can make contact with some of the leadership and offer our support.

Take care,

Dave

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

I have a couple of your bindy-tie-er-off-thingies myself Dave. Couple other products I like also, but yours is pretty handy.